Food insecurity is linked to a food environment promoting obesity in households with children

Abstract

Objective: To determine the extent to which the presence and accessibility of healthful and less healthful foods in children's homes vary with level of food security.

Methods: A total of 41 parents or primary caregivers who had at least 1 child ages 2-13 and resided in a low-income area with limited food access completed a home food inventory and a validated measure assessing household food security.

Results: Compared with food-secure participants, marginal or low/very low food-secure caregivers reported significantly more obesity-promoting foods in the home, more microwavable or quick-cook frozen foods, and greater access to less healthful foods in the kitchen (all Ps < .05).

Conclusions and implications: Given the greater presence and accessibility of less healthful foods, targeting home food environment may improve diet quality and health status in children of low-income, food insecure households.

Keywords: childhood obesity; food security; home environment; home food inventory.